


cover it up with with little bitter-sweetness

by Buttercup_ghost



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: ...maybe not as fluffy as I was intending, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - No Hope's Peak Academy (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Grumpy Chiaki, Implied Relationships, Introspection, I’m not very good at fluff but I tried, Komaeda’s Canonly Bad Cooking, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, it’s fluffy for me okay, my own hang ups on love kinda got into this, they're making chocolates for hajime, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:14:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29407470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buttercup_ghost/pseuds/Buttercup_ghost
Summary: “It’s all commercialism anyways,” Chiaki mutters, blushing as she spills chocolate once more. “It doesn’t really matter...”Komaeda laughed, lightly. “Ahaha, that’s not hopeful at all, Nanami-san! Even if it was manufactured, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have meaning... Love is always something to celebrate, isn’t it?”“I guess...” she puffed out her cheeks. “It really was just made to sell stuff, though.”“Well, that doesn’t mean it has to stay that, does it?” Komaeda smiled gently, putting in salt and stirring it in to his bowl. “You can give it a new meaning. Isn’t that what we’re doing, making these chocolates by hand?”-Chiaki and Komaeda make chocolates.
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito/Nanami Chiaki, Komaeda Nagito/Nanami Chiaki
Kudos: 23





	cover it up with with little bitter-sweetness

**Author's Note:**

> title from dreaming chuchu which is THE valentine day song
> 
> I’m not good at writing romance but I tried. I kinda have hang ups when it comes to romance, which I think shows through, but... eh. I really wanted this to just be a cute fluff piece of Komaeda and Chiaki making chocolates for Hajime but there’s more hurt/comfort and introspection bc I literally cannot stop myself from complicating things. Hopefully it’s still cute, regardless... bleh. It was kinda hard for me to actually piece the scenes I’d written together, so if it comes across weird... that’s probably why. Komanami is super cute, so I hope I got their dynamic right. Hajime isn’t actually in this, so rip Hajime. Sorry. I love him, but I kinda just wanted to focus on Chiaki, and her relationship with Komaeda, as I feel that’s not explored as often—I love all sides of komahinanami so I’m always a bit bummed that komanami isn’t as explored as hinanami and komahina. Anyways, happy Valentine’s Day! Please stay safe with the pandemic, I know it can be tempting to go out esp if you have a S/O but social distancing is very important! I know it’s disappointing but it is what it is.
> 
> No Hopes Peak au bc fuck Hopes Peak, all my homies hate Hopes Peak.

“Nanami-san,” Komaeda calls, “I brought the chocolate, where should I put it?”

Chiaki perked up, pausing her game. “The counter,” she murmured, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “I got out a bowl... and stuff...”

Komaeda hummed, smiling at her blankly. It’s his default expression—Komaeda smiled through all things, after all, admirable or not. She wonders, sometimes; if that could be something hopeful, or it’s opposite. They’re thoughts she thinks Komaeda would like, to indulge in—she never tells him.

“We heat this, right?” Komaeda asks, tilting his head to the side.

She stares down at the chocolate Komaeda bought, considering. “I think..” she shuffled, a little unsurely. “We need to melt it, then... I think we just put it in the molds?”

It shouldn’t be too hard. She thinks. She’s played cooking games before—she should know the steps, by now. 

She nods to herself. “Let’s put it in the microwave... I think we have to stir it every thirty seconds...?”

They pop the bowl in.

* * *

“Ahaha, Nanami-san..” Komaeda smiled, “You have chocolate on your face!”

It was true; she couldn’t resist trying the chocolate, and her face had payed the consequences. She scowled, lightly, and Komaeda laughed at her expression.

“Don’t worry, Nanami-san! You’re still very cute!”

She frowned further. Nanami-san, he says... still just Nanami-san. She puffed her cheeks; how annoying. Even now, he put up distance between them. Even when teasing her—troublesome, she thinks, once more. It’s not something she hasn’t noticed before, but moments like this make it impossible to ignore.

It may be petty, but she called him Komaeda-kun back—she may love him, but she knew how to hold a grudge.

“Komaeda-kun,” she frowns, before she smiles at an idea. Slowly, she reached her finger to her cheek—to the chocolate that stuck there. Then, with swift motions, she booped Komaeda right on the nose.

“Ah.” He blinked slowly, processing. The streak of brown upon his pale face was cute with his shocked expression; the slight disbelief that creased from his lips corner. 

“Boop.” Chiaki smiled, satisfied—and a bit smug. Coyly, she batted her eyelashes, eyes wide and innocent. Komaeda blinked at her again, before he broke out into a laugh.

“Nanami-san, you—” he said between giggles, “Ah, how unfair, how _unfair_ —you’re _unreasonably_ cute!” 

Chiaki smiled. “Yep. That’s why you have to listen to me.” 

“I don’t think that’s right,” Komaeda said, still giggling, “Not that I’m questioning you, but something about that logic seems flawed!”

“Do you doubt me?” She asked, slightly cheeky.

“No, no!” He reassured, “Never.”

* * *

She’s not good at romance novels, though... She’s no good at all of this. The chocolate splatters, bitter. It misses the mold.

(She has never really longed for romance—not the kind she sees in games, saccharine and calculated; she has only ached with want, to understand and be understood in turn. She’s unsure it’s possible, like all the games make it out to be—shallow things, items and correct dialogue choices. Such a chore; isn’t love supposed to be natural? But perhaps, she just didn’t understand. Teddy bears and chocolate; they’re just items, in the end. She wonders what it means.)

“It’s all commercialism anyways,” Chiaki mutters, blushing as she spills chocolate once more. “It doesn’t really matter...”

Komaeda laughed, lightly. “Ahaha, that’s not hopeful at all, Nanami-san! Even if it was manufactured, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have meaning... Love is always something to celebrate, isn’t it?”

“I guess...” she puffed out her cheeks. “It really was just made to sell stuff, though.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean it has to stay that, does it?” Komaeda smiled gently, putting in salt and stirring it in to his bowl. “You can give it a new meaning. Isn’t that what we’re doing, making these chocolates by hand?”

“I don’t... know about that,” Chiaki said slowly. “I just... wanted to try it. It always seems so... happy, in games. Making chocolates for someone you love...” she frowns, “Hm.” She considers it. “It’s not like they’ll last, but...”

_It‘s not like they’ll last, but..._

_**But....** _

“But not everything has to last, right?” Komaeda finished for her with another laugh. “One day, I know you’ll wake up and realize I’m not worth any of this, Nanami-san,” he says like it’s fact, “But selfishly, I’ll always look back on this with fondness! It really is more then I deserve, to have anything close to this for even a fraction of a second...”

Chiaki sighed. She wondered if this was Komaeda’s version of sentiment; if his love language would always be intrinsically tied into his self deprecation; if he could ever stand to hold something and not think about things like deserving. But Komaeda has always weighed things on a scale; he has always dilberated on human lives, assigning and comparing the value of every person he meets. He is far from exempt from his own judgment; he has always found himself wanting.

Its a sad way to live. She wonders if this tired feeling is pity.

Sometimes, loving Komaeda was exhausting.

(It’s not like the video games, fireworks every time they touch, passion and easy-coming love. It’s hard fought for, in reality—maybe a bit of a tired thing. But it’s comfy, like a warm sweater. Sometimes it snags, but that’s okay. It’s just a bit worn; you have to treat it with more care, is all. It’s okay if it’s scary, she thinks. Probably. There’s an uncertainty to love, but there will always be comfort. Even if it’s a tired one. She’s used to being sleepy.) 

“Not everything has to last,” she agrees, quietly. “But...” 

She knows what she’ll say next is impossible. Hopelessly, hopelessly naive. The kind of words that scroll along the bottom of her screen, that leave her feeling hollow. There’s something about dating sims that just leave her disillusioned, even as she reaches for absolution in the fantasy.

_It’s impossible for it to last. I know that, already. I know that, I know that, I know that, but..._

_**Still, I...** _

Self-actualization is the hardest thing to ever do. She wonders if she craves co-dependency, in the end—but she means what she says, sincerely.

“I wish that this could.”

“...We can’t make chocolates forever, Nanami-san,” Komaeda laughs, again. He’s always laughing, she thinks. “The chocolate will harden.”

It's not quite what she meant. But that’s okay, too. She thinks he understands, anyways.

“I suppose... so....” she frowns, “The chocolate will always harden...” 

_No matter what, it will always harden. Nothing lasts..._

How troubling, indeed. But that’s why Chiaki wanted to make chocolates, in the end. That was exactly why.

“I don’t get it...” she mumbled to herself, but her chest was warm, cheeks dusted. “I don’t really understand it, so... I wanted to try.”

_They always look so happy in those types of games, so..._

**_I..._ **

Maybe there was no right way to do it. Maybe love just... was, wherever it was. Whatever that meant. She loves her friends, she knows. She loves Komaeda, and Hinata, and video games. And maybe that’s enough, even if she still doesn’t understand—still can’t quite get dating sims. Because they met her where she is, and that’s a pretty great thing, too.

She hopes Hinata likes the chocolate.

* * *

“I don’t think you’re supposed to put acorns into these,” Chiaki observes with a frown. “I know some chocolate has nuts, but...”

She looked at the lumpy mixture—nuts, salt, and... did Komaeda put _flour_ into this? 

“Don’t worry,” Komaeda reassured, “I also put thyme into it. And basil, too.”

That... was definitely wrong. Suddenly, Chiaki didn’t feel so bad about her hands and the counter being covered with chocolate. 

“I don’t think those go in chocolate at all.”

“They don’t?”

“Well... I guess I don’t have to worry about my chocolates anymore,” she mumbled. “Hajime will just be happy I didn’t put stuff in them, I think. Even if the hearts aren’t perfect.”

And they certainly weren’t—the shape just didn’t want to come out right. Lopsided and a little lumpy, they didn’t quite hold the shape of hearts at all. Even the ones she made using the molds seemed deformed; maybe Komaeda’s luck was effecting her. 

Still, she didn’t put basil in them. She didn’t really put anything, unsure how to. Maybe that made them a bit boring, but Hajime didn’t mind plain stuff. Especially when Komaeda’s cooking was the alternative. 

“That’s the spirit, Nanami!” Komaeda cheered. “Next to trash like me, you shine all the brighter! Amazing!”

Chiaki knew he was being sincere, but for some reason, he always managed to sound sarcastic. “...Mm...” She puffed her cheeks. “Not trash... just bad at cooking.”

“Ahaha, whatever you say,” Komaeda conceded, but she knew he didn’t believe her. He was only placating her, in the end. Still, she nodded.

“That’s right... I’m a gamer, so you have to listen to me.” She made the argument, cheeks deflating from their previous disgruntled state. The logic was a bit nonsensical, but that was just what worked, with Komaeda. “I know what I’m talking about...”

“Of course!” He agreed readily. “Nanami-san really is splendid!”

“Mm...” she rubbed her eyes, sleepy.

Komaeda softened, when he noticed her tiredness. “Come on, let’s put these in the fridge,” he gently nudged her, “That’s what you do to set them, right?”

“Yeah...” Chiaki yawned, “I think so...”

He lets her lean on him. And maybe, she thinks, that _this_ is what love is: something as simple as this.

* * *

“Hey... Nagito?” 

Komaeda stilled.

“Thanks... for helping me make chocolates.”

“...Ahaha... _Chiaki_ , you really are strange...”

“Hm?”

“...You don’t have to thank me for that.”


End file.
